August 2008

August 31, 2008

In keeping with the Golden Gate Restaurant Association's Heirloom Tomato Week, I had the most extraordinary experience with the Summer Tomato Cart at Bix that just had to be shared.

I had been wanting to try Bix for quite some time now on several recommendations from trusted Foodie friends and various write-ups by fellow food writers. The Menu alone is rather extensive, featuring many different Dishes prepared with seasonal items, which is sure to suit anyone's palette. Not to mention, the warm, stylish Deco-esque decor and the nightly live jazz, both serve as a perfect backdrop to make your dining experience even more special. The restaurant is both elegant and lively, and very reminiscent of the glamour of the glorious Jazz Era of the 30's and 40's. Tucked in an alley in San Francisco's Financial District, Bix describes itself as a world class supperclub and I am inclined to agree.

In case you haven't been out in the dining scene lately, the latest trend literally 'going around' in restaurants these days is the Heirloom Tomato Cart. We've seen cheese carts at places like Gary Danko and prime rib carts at the House of Prime Rib, but the current trend is the Tomato Cart. To be honest, I was a little skeptical at first, but as I sat down to dine at Bix, I was compelled to try it and see what the excitement was all about.

August 30, 2008

I believe that yogurt shops and cup cake bakeries are taking over the Bay Area. Just in my neck of the woods alone, I have counted three cupcakes shops due to open this weekend and two more yogurt shops under construction. I have been a frozen yogurt addict since last summer when Fraiche opened their doors in downtown Palo Alto. I even have the T-shirt to prove my love for Fraiche! Since Fraiche's success, many other shops have popped up around town. Here is my latest yogurt shop update for my neighborhood: Culture Frozen Yogurt is set to open in a few weeks on California Avenue. The shop will be run by two wonderful women, that happen to be local Moms. The Stanford mall now has a Tutti Frutti being built where the old Palm store used to be. (What does that say about Silicon Valley?)

Now on to cupcakes... Sprinkles is supposed to be opening in the Stanford mall as well. They have
already opened shops in San Francisco. Local cupcake favorite, Kara's is supposedly opening this weekend in the Town and Country shopping center. Bebe cakes is also due to open in Palo Alto this fall. Unlike the medfly invasion, this latest Bay Area invasion does not require spraying. Let me know what is popping up in your neighborhood!

August 28, 2008

The San Francisco Bay Area is sweltering at the moment. With temperatures in the double digits Fall should not be on my mind. I am resisting buying cashmere, and winter clothes, as I am too hot too carry the shopping bags.Then I stumbled, luckily just figuratively upon the Walker and Bowes Glass Pumpkin Patch at The Stanford Mall. Thousands of one of a kind glass pumpkins are on display throughout the mall. The pumpkins look as if they have just sprouted up in front of the shops. Pumpkins will be available for purchase on Aug. 29- Sept 1, Sept. 5-7, and Sept. 12-14. Proceeds from sales benefit local charities. Hard to believe that fall is just around the corner.

There will be an artist reception on Sept. 5th, from 5- 7:30 in Bloomingdales on the second floor.

August 27, 2008

I am helping to provide 2, 500 school children in Haiti with shoes to wear to school. You can too, or perhaps providing children with dental care in Columbia, or protecting 625 acres of endangered coral reef is your thing. If you are a sports fan, you may want to send 2, 500 soccer balls to Kenya. Thanks to Palo Alto based, Tonic Generation you can be a consumer and be a catalyst for change. As a shopper, I always welcome the chance to feel good about spending money! At this time, the only products available on the site are T-shirts designed by Luella Bartley. These one of a kind designs are t's that you can wear out, not just to the gym. The designs are modern, and the material is a bamboo and cotton mix, and very soft to the touch. I applaud Tonic for their efforts in giving consumers a better way to consume.

August 26, 2008

They’re big in LA, New York likes them too. Open up any fashion magazine and you’ll see them gracing the feet of celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Gwyneth Paltrow. Nope, we’re not talking Jimmy Choo stilettos, we’re talking Ugg boots, those rather shapeless but very warm sheepskin boots that have taken the fashion world by storm in recent years.

As much as I admire SJP, I didn’t really get the Ugg phenomena. Frankly, I needed a little convincing. So last Thursday I attended the opening of the San Francisco Flagship Ugg Shoe store located downtown at 437 Sutter street. Socialite Joy Venturini Bianchi was there, dressed to the nines and accompanied by her stylish friend, Brenda Zarate. San Francisco realtor, Joel Goodrich was also in attendance, as was Olympic skier, Jonny Moseley, an Ugg devotee and company spokesperson. Sponsored by Vogue magazine and Lotus Vodka, the event attracted Ugg fans of all ages.

August 24, 2008

Twins Jessica Leung and Emily Leung say they've only had ESP twice and it was the second one that changed their lives. After having an impossible time finding comfortable and fashionable shoes for her wedding, Jessica recognized a huge and unfulfilled niche. Emily was also experiencing trouble finding good looking shoes she could dance in. Longtime runners, the sisters were quietly running together one day, both lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly Emily said, "We should start our own clothing line." Jessica responded, "I was just thinking that!"

Fast forward one year later when last Friday evening friends, family, and the fashionables of San Francisco arrived at the downtown Weinstien Art Gallery to celebrate the launch of Hey Lady, the twins' wedding shoe and little white dress clothing line. A fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation, the evening included Hey Lady shoe preview, and a fashion show highlighting Hey Lady's Spring 2009 Little White Dress collection.

August 22, 2008

The Blue Dot Boutique Sale is coming to town. Save up to seventy five percent on bargains from some of Bay Area's best shops. (Check the website to see if your favorite boutique is on the list.) Just imagine being able to comb through the sale racks of many great shops under one roof. I did notice two important bits of information. There are no dressing rooms, and they are only accepting cash. The event takes place on August 23-24 at Fort Mason's Herbst Pavilion.

August 21, 2008

Yes, you heard right, and if you're a real Foodie living in SF, then you probably already know about it. If you haven't been there yet, here's the scoop...

Tis the season of Heirloom Tomatoes and a collective of SF chefs and restaurants have joined forces to offer the bay area an unprecedented esculent endeavor called San Francisco Chefs. Food. Wine. This is a year long event planned by a community of San Francisco chefs and restaurants, which is kicking off three seasonal promotions in the city within the next year. The first event is Heirloom Tomato Week, running through August 24th.

The promotion features over 50 notable and popular Bay Area restaurants that will showcase local grown heirloom tomatoes in either tasting menus or signature dishes. Some of the participating restaurants are Antica Trattoria, Bix, Fleur De Lys, Grand Cafe, La Folie, Piperade and Poleng Lounge. You can make reservations for participating restaurants on OpenTable.com and if you use a Visa Signature Card, you will get a free commemorative book of heirloom tomato recipes, stories and all things tomato.

August 19, 2008

Last week, while driving my daughter to her lacrosse camp, I heard of yet another fabulous event that I want to attend. Thanks to KDFC, I am kept in the loop on many upcoming Bay Area events. ( I suggest that you check out their events page before you book up the rest of your summer calendar.) The 18th annual Family Winemakers tasting will be taking place on Aug 24th from 2-6, at Fort Mason. The event is only open to the public for a short window of time, other wise you need to be in the trade.

The tasting will showcase the largest selection of family wines in the world. Advance tickets are available for $45, or $55 the day of the event.

August 17, 2008

I am allergic to many things, luckily wheat is not among them. While the rest of the word is cutting carbs, I search out breads all over the world. (Yes, I really am obsessed w/ bread. ) My perfect treat involves a fresh loaf of bread, some olive oil and wine. I thought that I had tasted almost all of the great local breads. Somehow, I had missed Bay Bread. and I have non idea how this happened.
I am a huge fan of Semifredis and Acme breads. There is always a fresh bread on our table. (This is where my obsession with wanting to be French comes in!) Now there is a new loaf to enjoy. Thanks to Pascal Rigo, founder of the artisan La Boulange bakeries, I have a new guilty pleasure.

I just happened to be in Cole Valley yesterday, and was famished. I popped into the La Boulange on Cole St, and was greeted by a setting that made me feel like I was in Paris. After checking the ingredients, I ordered a turkey sandwich on a demi baguette. The sandwich was presented to me the way sandwiches in France are wrapped. So not only did I get to enjoy an amazing baguette, I got to satisfy the France obsession within me. I also ordered some croissants and macarons for my kids. According to my children, the macarons are right up there with their favorite Miette macarons.

Bay Bread is available at fine local restaurants. I am hoping that La Boulange will open a Peninsula location.

August 16, 2008

The end of summer is a great time to shop for beauty products, especially if you have a weakness gift-with-purchase promotions. Nordstrom is offering a fabulous sampler tote for purchases over $100, and Saks has a make-up bag filled with beauty and fragrance samples when you spend at least $85. Neiman Marcus is featuring an Estee Lauder "Dream Event" tote with samples.

The most unusual offer I've seen? Le Mystere is giving away free panties with the purchase of any of the new Le Mystere Skin products. The online order form doesn't seem to let you specify what size of seamless panties to wear with your eye cream, but perhaps if you hurry over to Bloomingdale's in person, you can get matched up with a comfy pair.

(And if panties aren't on your wish list, also check out Bloomie's promos for Bliss and Molton Brown.)

August 15, 2008

It was anything but quiet and no one was speaking easy last Thursday night at the 944 August issue release party. The fashion and lifestyle magazine’s latest shindig was held at Slide, 430 Mason Street, once the location of a speakeasy back in the dark days of prohibition.

Members of the It Crowd filled the booths and hugged the back-lit bar, while flipping through the third San Francisco edition of 944. Sydney Leung owner of the other happening club, Endup celebrated with a group of friends and 944 fan Lisa Esquivel showed up to see and be seen. Vitamin fortified Lotus Vodka was the spirit of choice and music was courtesy of DJ Donovan.

The 944 August issue offers up all there is to know about San Francisco nightlife, featuring hot spots like The Press Club wine tasting room, hot people such as rapper LL cool, and hot tips on how to stay healthy and lookin’ good for the daylight after the nightlife. Actress and burlesque artist Dita Von Tesse graces the frame-worthy cover (photographed by Morand + Zwirner) donning a fabulous ruffled felt hat by Laura Kranitz and retro looking jewelry by Amrapali.

August 13, 2008

Fashionistas listen up! For a bit of couture treatment head over this weekend to the annual American Craft Council show, Herbst and Festival Pavilions, Fort Mason and find Kiss of the Wolf, located in booth #112 in the Herbst building.

Mother/daughter team, Lori Bacigalupi and Serene Bacigalupi are the designers behind Kiss of the Wolf (a translation of the family name), creating fabulous women's clothing primarily in silk. Known for their hand painted fabrics in vivid colors, the Bacigalupis have created a following doing high end craft shows around the country for the past 25 years. "It's really a collaborative process," says Serene, who joined the family business in 2007. "Customers come into the booth, try on designs they like and then we discuss together what color combinations they prefer." Like couture, each piece is custom made to fit.

The Bacigalpuis say they attract women who want one-of-a-kind pieces. "Our customers are sophisticated women," says Lori. "They want quality and they want style." And Kiss of the Wolf delivers, using unique techniques including direct dye, Japanese shibori, batik, and silkscreen. The collection is made up of separates that can be layered, mixed and matched.

Our friends at The A-List are hosting a "Glitz and Glamour" fashion show at the Weinstein Gallery (picture Matisse, Dali, Picasso) this Friday, 6:30-9:30pm. The event kicks off (literally) with a cocktail reception and shoe show, followed by a fashion show at 8pm(ish), featuring the 2009 "Lady in White" Collection, followed by desserts and entertainment. And if you still want to party, follow the crowd to Slide. All proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

August 12, 2008

I can always use another good-size day bag. This roomy leather tote from Rebecca Minkoff captures the charm of luggage from a vintage era, complete with embroidered French travel decals. It's big enough so I can stash a book, a magazine, and my laptop (my 17" MacBook Pro slips into in a neoprene sleeve from Built NY and packs right into my sac du jour). Find the French Tote online - along with Rebecca's trendy Morning After bags - at Shopbop and RavinStyle.

August 11, 2008

Have you already made your plans for Labor Day weekend ? If those plans do not include participating in San Francisco'sSlow Food Nation '08, you may want to cancel them. The largest celebration of one of my favorite things, food will be taking place August 29 through Sept 1st in Fort Mason and the Civic Center. As you may have guessed, "Slow Food" is pretty much the opposite of fast food for a variety of reasons. Founded by the Bay Area's very own Alice Waters, Slow Food works to connect what is on your plate to the planet.

Slow Food reminds us that there is indeed a connection between how the food is grown, those growing it, and those consuming the end product. There is also the belief that people need to" slow down and appreciate the convivial traditions of the table." I am sure you are familiar with all of the terms that come to my mind when I think of Slow Food, local, organic, sustainable, cruelty free, and fair. If you do not care about any of that, but enjoy good food, this event is for you too.

August 08, 2008

Last week, CB2 - Crate & Barrel's modern counterpart - opened its first west coast location in Union Square at 34 Ellis Street. For those that are unfamiliar with CB2, the well-known, home furnishings titan, Crate & Barrel, began its own line of modern furnishing eight years ago to cater to the loft/apartment-style home, and called it CB2. It originally began with a catalog and online website, as well as its first 2 stores in Chicago which opened first in 2000 and then in 2004. The new CB2 San Francisco location consists of 8,000 square feet spread over two floors and is only one of four store locations in the U.S. – the two stores in Chicago and one in SoHo New York that opened last year. The San Francisco store is constructed in an exposed brick-and-mortar space which is CB2's signature style for its other locations as well.

According to CB2's Product Director, Marta Calle (shown to the right of CEO Barbara Turf), CB2 is about modern, affordable furnishings that are fun and casual. As opposed to Crate & Barrel, with its variety in furnishings and accessories, CB2 has only one point-of-view – only modern – with more color and smart prices. One good thing to know is that CB2 has no cooking or gourmet department. As Ms. Calle says, it caters more to the casual lifestyle, and is more laid back and fun. Its style can be described as minimal with a mixture of color, warmth and textures, from clear acrylic tables and clever & fun accessories, to ethnic and eco-friendly touches like bath towels made from bamboo & Egyptian cotton and shesham wood pieces crafted in India. It has an eclectic mix of furnishings and accessories to certainly make things more interesting whatever your style or taste may be.

August 07, 2008

Fall weather is so weird in the Bay Area - one week it will be 50 degrees and the next, 80. So as fall fashions captivate us, we have to ease into it while keeping summer wardrobes one step away - at least until November. Here are some of the top fall looks for 2008 that will work during the transition:

Boxy jacket - leather biker jackets and boucle jackets work well for early fall, especially in the city

Metallic clutch bag - for evening, a great staple that will work in summer or fall clothes

Ballet flats - comfy and easy for any weather, these are still popular

Black tuxedo jacket - worn with anything from jeans to dresses and lighter than leather

Thready knit sweater - for cooler days, wear one of these over leggings, jeans or shorts

Skinny belt - worn over soft jackets or cardigans

Gray pants - comfortable and versatile

Oversized bag - still in vogue, the bag do jour can go anywhere filled with nearly anything

On the face, defined eyes and red lipstick pervaded the runways for the fall collections. But remember, it's a comfortable collection and have fun. For more ideas, see our comprehensive fall fashion trends list.

August 05, 2008

Tuesday, Prada celebrated the grand opening of the new San Francisco flagship store at 201 Post Street, with a spectacular gala event catered by none other than award-winning Chef Thomas Keller of French Laundry and Per Se acclaim.

The Italian luxury fashion house that is Prada had been planning to open a flagship store, or Epicenter as they like to call it, in the City by the Bay for well over 10 years. According to Joanne Ramey of Women's Wear Daily, the original plan was to open a 10-story steel-sheathed Prada Epicenter which was to be designed by the influential Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas (designer of the Los Angeles Prada Epicenter) across the street from what is now the new flagship space. This was to rival the ones in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo, but over the course of the decade, this plan fell through for various reasons, strategic and economic. The current Post Street space housing the new flagship was acquired six years prior to its opening and was left uninhabited in spite of the high rent market of San Francisco to allow for flexibility for its opening. This location on the corner of Grant Avenue and Post Street is ideal considering it is in the midst of other luxury high fashion houses such as Armani, Dior and Versace.

And so this brings us back to the much anticipated day of the opening. The event began promptly at 6pm with a crowd of people - city elite, fashion divas and gastronomes alike, standing in line outside of the building within a black velvet-roped, black carpeted sidewalk that was even flanked by a line of men dressed in all black standing guard side-by-side on the corner of Post & Grant. It was quite the spectacle, with droves of tourists, business folk and city dwellers passing by and wondering what the commotion was all about.

Growing up in Walnut Creek, a big day out was hopping on BART to Union Square. I remember the excitement as I walked up Powell Street. I would stop at I.Magnin and the on to Saks. My friends and I would head over to the St. Francis to use the bathrooms and people watch before heading back to the East Bay. As a child, Union Square was San Francisco to me.

These days, I find myself heading to the Mission. (I wish I could take Caltrain there, as parking is quite a challenge.) When suburbia starts to stifle me, I head back into the big city. It seems as though whenever I make a restaurant reservation, it's in the Mission. In the past two weeks, I have been double parked in front of Bi-Rite Market so my family could enjoy some Bi-Rite ice cream. My husband had to circle the block so I could pick up a bread at Tartine Bakery.. I enjoyed an amazing dinner at Bar Tartine, and have reservations at Dosa this week. My sister keeps urging me to try the coffee at Ritual Roasters.. If I can get a spot, I will.